2025年5月8日（木曜）12時00分～午後1時15分

ジェトロ・アジア経済研究所　C22会議室 　

This paper presents two key insights: (i) regions with relatively greater demand for sectors with low trade costs exhibit higher wage levels, holding other things constant; and (ii) high-wage regions specialize in sectors with high trade costs, as firms facing lower transport costs locate in lower-wage regions to reduce production costs and remain competitive in international markets. The paper quantifies the implications of recent declines in trade costs for modern services, suggesting these changes may reinforce global income divergence, as predicted by the theory. Preliminary estimates using OECD ICIO data point to potential distributional impacts of uneven globalization, with patterns of divergence between advanced economies and emerging markets. These findings shed new light on structural challenges faced by emerging economies, particularly their limited manufacturing growth, and offer an alternative perspective on the mechanisms behind the persistence of the middle-income trap.

小野田喬氏（国際協力銀行）

渡部 雄太